US comedian obtains Eritrean citizenship

US comedian and actress Tiffany Hadish has been granted Eritrean citizenship – the birthplace of her father.

She is currently in Eritrea to join in celebrations to mark the country’s 28 years of independence celebrations.

The government’s Information Minister has tweeted a photo of her at a street carnival in the capital, Asmara, on Wednesday:

Haddish visited Eritrea last year to bury her father, Sihaye Reda Haddish, and to link up with his relatives.

During her visit she also met Eritrea’s autocratic President Isaias Afewerki.

An Eritrean diplomat in Washington confirmed on Twitter that Haddish obtained citizenship “in this very touching moment of our independence week”.

Hadish – who was born in Los Angeles in 1979 – became famous through her role in the If Loving You is Wrong television series, and comedy films like Girls Trip.

She currently features in the television comedy series The Last O.G.

Eritrea is a one-party state ruled by Mr Isaias since independence in 1993.

Many Eritreans who left the country because of his repressive policies say they cannot return without the risk of being arrested. BBC News